With the failures of last season in the rear view mirror, the time has come for Tom Fitzgerald to add to what he’s already built and put the Devils in a position to win it all
Eight months ago, I took Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald to task for the failures that happened under his watch that led to a wasted 2023-24 season.
I wrote at the end of that piece that while Fitzgerald deserved a lot of blame for the Devils missing the playoffs last year, I wasn’t necessarily calling for his dismissal. Quite the contrary, as I’ve liked most of the moves that he had made in the three plus years prior to last season. I thought the issues surrounding the Devils were fixable and Fitzgerald should get a chance to right the wrongs of last season, and Fitzgerald himself said he knew exactly what he needed to do to fix the mess that he had a hand in creating.
Fast forward eight months later and its safe to say that Fitzgerald was right when he said he knew exactly what this team needed.
It wasn’t just the changes with the players, although those changes were much needed. Adding a goaltender in Jacob Markstrom and pairing him with Jake Allen, and for the most part, the Devils are going to have a chance to win on any given night thanks to who they have in net. Add in defensemen who defend in Brett Pesce, Brenden Dillon, and Johnathan Kovacevic, along with a maturing Luke Hughes in his second full season in the NHL and a healthy Dougie Hamilton and Jonas Siegenthaler and you have the makings of one of the best defensive units in the entire NHL. Add in players like Stefan Noesen and Paul Cotter who have given the Devils a bit more of an edge, and between them, Dillon, and Kovacevic, they’ve made strides in shedding that soft label that the team earned last year.
Perhaps most importantly, Fitzgerald hit a home run with the hiring of Sheldon Keefe as head coach, giving the Devils much needed defensive structure and an identity that is worth building around. Add in the fact that every last player on the Devils have bought in to what Keefe is selling and its no wonder that not only usually defensively responsible players like Siegenthaler and Nico Hischier have bounced back, but Jack Hughes has become so adept defensively that he’s now a trusted member of the penalty kill unit. Add in the team playing with more of an edge and a commitment to forechecking and backchecking and you see that rub off on every last player on the gameday roster. The Devils don’t have to cheat for offense as much as they did under the previous regime and they’re still capable of being one of the better offensive teams in the league.
The proof is in the pudding, with the Devils comfortably in a playoff position in the Eastern Conference. The Devils have already racked up plenty of impressive wins against other top teams in the NHL, and if their recent run of play leading into the Christmas break is any indicator, the Devils are only getting more and more comfortable with Keefe’s system to the point where they’re now a shutdown, defensive powerhouse. That’s not to say that the Devils can’t still beat you with their rush game and that “Instagram Hockey” style of play, but they’ve shown they’re more than capable of grinding out tough wins against opponents who play with a strong defensive structure and a heavy presence. That last part is key, as those are the types of games that championship caliber clubs win in April, May, and June as the games get tougher and the quality of competition improves.
Fitzgerald not only fixed the Devils, but he’s molded them into a team that is capable of beating you in a variety of different ways. Now comes the hard part for Fitzgerald….finding the final couple of pieces to supplement and support what you have already built and can potentially get you over the hump.
The Devils are a deep team, particularly on the backend, but they could use a little more upfront with their forwards. The Devils didn’t really have a good plan in the first place when it came to who should be the fourth line center, and the reunion with Tomas Tatar hasn’t really worked out as hoped either. Those are two areas in obvious need of upgrade, but good news! Fitzgerald told The Athletic that he’s looking to add a fourth-line center or maybe a top-nine forward with the idea of pushing players who are misslotted down the lineup. I would agree with his assessment and expand it to bottom-six center, with the idea of maybe pushing Erik Haula down to being one of the better 4Cs in the league. Either way, expect the Devils to add someone who can win critical faceoffs and supplement what the Devils have already built defensively.
With the Devils most likely heading back to the playoffs, there will be plenty of debate on these forums about who they should target at the trade deadline. Trust me when I say where will be plenty of time between now and March 7th to talk about players from other teams and what they might cost. I plan on writing about a lot of players who should be available between now and then.
The one thing I would caution though is the importance of finding the right fit. The Devils would be smart to double down on the types of players they’ve already brought in…..not only finding players who play with an edge and a little bit of violence, but some size, guys who can skate, guys who are coachable, guys with the right compete level, and who will buy in to what Keefe is preaching defensively…..and then things like “can he score goals”. I’m not saying goal scoring isn’t important, but I do think if you put in the hard work defensively, that will lead to goal scoring opportunities. I’m not really interested in one-dimensional players who don’t do much of anything if they’re not going offensively, and neither should the Devils. I’m also not necessarily interested in going after a “big name” like that team across the Hudson tends to do when they add at the deadline. Not unless that big name checks a lot of the boxes that I just mentioned.
The trade deadline is ten weeks away from today. Fitzgerald has already done a lot of heavy lifting reshaping this roster into the team he wants it to be and one that is capable of making noise in the playoffs. And while there’s no guarantee that any finishing touches between now and March 7th will result in the Devils hoisting the Cup over their heads in June, Fitzgerald needs to be careful to find guys who will seamlessly fit in and add to what the Devils already do well. Even if Fitzgerald does find guys who are the right fit, the games are still played on the ice when its all said and done.
All Fitzgerald can do is continue to put the Devils in position to be in position when that time comes. Fortunately, it sounds like he knows exactly what they need again.
We’ll see if Fitzgerald can get those pieces once again.